1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latch device for vehicle used for a door, a rear door, a trunk lid, a seat back, a seat cushion, and the like of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A latch device for a vehicle, which is provided in a door and the like of a vehicle and locks the door, is typically configured from a meshing mechanism that includes a metal plate-like latch capable of engaging a striker at a car body side and a metal plate-like latchet that prevents rotation of the latch by meshing with the latch. In such a meshing mechanism, an abutting sound occurs due to abutting of metals when the latch abuts on the latchet. Therefore, it is desired to reduce the abutting sound.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-41289 discloses a configuration in which a resin portion is provided in a slantly-crossed-belt-shaped manner by molding a resin material in such a way as to be embedded in a band-like groove portion formed in an approximately center part of a latchet in a plate-thickness direction, and this resin portion is caused to function as a buffer, so that an abutting sound occurring when the latchet abuts on a meshing surface of a latch is reduced. Also, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-276228 discloses a configuration in which a resin material is protruded from both sides of a meshing surface by covering both side parts of the latchet in a plate-thickness direction with the resin material, and this protruded portion is caused to function as a buffer, so that an abutting sound is reduced.
In the above-described configuration in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-41289, it is possible to reduce the abutting sound by the resin portion that functions as the buffer when the latch meshes with the latchet. However, because this resin portion is bridged across the center part of the latchet in a slantly-crossed-belt-shaped manner, there is a possibility that the resin material gradually turns up and peels off as the meshing between the latch and the latchet is repeated, and thus, it is necessary to prevent the turning up by increasing the thickness of the buffer. Therefore, it is necessary to deeply form the groove portion of the latchet, and this leads to a problem in machining the groove portion. Also, a similar problem may be caused in the above-described configuration in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-276228, and there is a possibility that the resin portion that wraps the both side parts of the latchet turns up and peels off.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing, and a purpose of the invention is to provide a latch device for a vehicle capable of reducing an abutting sound of a latch and a latchet for a long period of time.